Abstract: Greenhouse (1) provided with a roof element (2) having a multiplicity of transverse ribs (12, 13, 14, 15) or pyramids uniformly distributed over the roof element. The roof element can be constructed double-walled as a hollow-core sheet from transparent plastic and can comprise a base sheet with the rib-shaped or pyramid-shaped roof surfaces fixed thereon. The light yield in a horticultural greenhouse can be increased by the roof elements.

Abstract: A retrofit roof tie down that helps prevent the roof from separating from the gable end wall, having a fork and yoke to accommodate different roof pitches. The forks attach to pipe that holds down the roofing material and roof sheathing. A plate attaches to the gable wall securing the outside sheathing to the underlying rafter. A bolt fastens the yoke and plate together through the roof and an eye nut secures everything together. A cargo strap secures the eye to the ground.

Abstract: A window assembly in which the frame of the window assembly provides support for both a window and a protective shield with such support comprising an inwardly facing saddle which supports the window within the frame and an inwardly facing casing and retainer adjacent the saddle which releasably retains the protective shield and the window within the frame with the shield extending over and protecting the window.

Abstract: An interlocking block for constructing walls without mortar at bed joints includes an inner wall, an outer wall, and a web arrangement connecting the walls, wherein upper and lower surfaces of the block when in use are formed in contact with walls of a mold, and the block is slipped from the mold in a direction parallel to the mold walls. Interlocking recesses and ridges are formed in one piece with the walls of the block. The web is minimal in cross-sectional area and is positioned at one end of the block and between the top and bottom to create large empty volumes defining vertical and horizontal passages. The block can include one or more intermediate walls parallel to the inner and outer walls and additional webs to connect the intermediate walls to the inner and outer walls.

Abstract: A hotel-restaurant structure including a shared area formed by an overlapping corner portion common to the hotel and the restaurant. The overlapping portion is defined by a corner of the hotel structure that overlaps the restaurant structure and a corner of the restaurant structure that overlaps the hotel structure. The structure includes an access from the hotel structure through the overlapping portion into the restaurant structure such that the shared area comprises less than 50 percent of the floor area of the hotel structure and less than 50 percent of the restaurant structure.

Abstract: Communications cable is routed within horizontal pathways between the structural ceiling and drop ceiling to a fire-resistant cabinet mounted between the ceilings. Communication cable switching and termination equipment is carried by the cabinet for providing a consolidation point and cross-connect location for both copper wire and optical fiber cables serving work stations within an open office architecture. The cabinet includes an access door opening into a room below the drop ceiling for providing user access to the equipment. The door lies within the drop ceiling plane when in the closed position. A removable equipment mounting plate is carried by the cabinet for lowering the equipment below the drop ceiling when the door is in the open position. Cabinet fire-resistant side wall penetrations permits the communications cable routed between the ceilings to enter and exit the cabinet for connection with the communications cable switching and termination equipment.

Abstract: A method of constructing a suspended floor is described in which a plurality of beam-forming formwork assemblies are located in substantially parallel alignment, the beam-forming formwork assemblies are supported in support assemblies on a support base in stable equilibrium, a plurality of floor-forming formwork assemblies are located between the beam-forming formwork assemblies for support thereon, concrete is poured in said formwork assemblies, the concrete is allowed to set, and the formwork assemblies are removed from the set concrete for re-use.

Abstract: A playhouse kit which includes a building constructed of thin light weight materials with dry eraser surfaces provided on both the interior and exterior surfaces thereof. The building is constructed using members forming walls, roof, and floor of a house shape structure while the members to construct the house are attached to each other utilizing Velcro.sub..TM. or any other securable attachment means. Numerous magnetically attachable accessories are provided including thematic accessories and/or any accessories which would may interest the child's imagination. In addition to the accessories numerous dry eraser markers in various colors are provided that allows the child to draw on or decorate the interior or exterior surfaces of the playhouse as desired.

Abstract: Corrugated metal roof panels have overlapping opposite curled edge portions defining channels adjacent the ridge portions of the roof panels. Parallel spaced support rods have inner end portions which project into the channels and are secured by fasteners. The support rods project from the ends of the roof panels and have outer end portions secured by fasteners to the top flange on the outer wall of a U-shaped rain gutter. The inner wall of the gutter has a top flange secured by fasteners to the valley portions of the roof panels at the ends of the roof panels, and each valley portion has a lip projecting downwardly into the gutter. Tapered closure panels fill the corrugations above the inner wall of the gutter and have edge flanges crimped to the end portions of the roof panels.

Abstract: A holder for use in building construction for holding anchor bolts, rebar, in-concrete plumbing, and the like, in predetermined positions during the pouring of concrete therearound The holder is molded in one piece from a suitable plastic and includes an elongated base plate, the front end which has an end hole therethrough; a sleeve projecting from the base plate over the end bole; elongated first and second re-enforcing side ribs providing from the base plate and connected to the sleeve; an end rib partially wrapped around the sleeve and integrally joining the sleeve and the forward ends of the side ribs where they meet the sleeve; a center rib projecting from the base plate between the side ribs and also connected to the sleeve; webs projecting from the base plate, interconnecting the side and center ribs, and having nail holes therethrough, and preferably also including an end plate.

Abstract: A conveyor gallery lateral restraint system for a reticulated dome structure includes a pair of load transfer pads integrated into the conveyor gallery and dome structure. Only loads normal to the outer surfaces of the load transfer pads, and thus loads along the reticulated surface of the dome structure, are transferred to the dome structure by the load transfer pads. Because of characteristics of the load transfer pads and their orientation relative to the dome surface, substantially no loads that are normal to the surface of the dome structure are transferred to the dome structure by the conveyor gallery.

Abstract: A device for forming a framework of a wooden building including a steel pipe, screw bar, joint, bolt and joint stick. The steel pipe is tightly inserted in a hole formed at the top edge and/or the bottom edge of a vertical post. The screw bar connects two vertical posts in series as an upper half thereof is screwed into a screw hole of a steel pipe inserted into the bottom edge of a vertical post, while a lower half thereof is screwed into a screw hole of a steel pipe inserted into the top edge of a vertical post positioned below the former vertical post. The joint comprises a base portion and a flange portion oriented at a right angle with respect to the from base portion. The bolt passes through a hole of the base portion of the joint and a hole of the vertical post and is screwed into a screw hole of the steel pipe to secure the joint to the vertical post.

Abstract: A window assembly of the type having at least one sash which is slidably mounted between a pair of jambs defining a window case, wherein the sash includes jamb-engaging side members (i.e., stiles) which have generally flat edges. The flat or flush sides of the sash stiles allow the sash to be easily pivoted away from the plane of the window case, without pushing on, or deforming, the jamb liners, thus overcoming problems generally associated with conventional sash having recess or plows configured to be interfitted with protruding ridge-like channels projecting outwardly from the jambs, as is typically the case with wood-frame windows. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, weatherstrips are mounted to each of the jamb liners to provide weathersealing engagement between the jamb liners and the sash stiles at the sides of the windows.

Abstract: A masonry reinforcement system includes a number of tensioning rods extending from the top to the bottom of a masonry wall structure in spaced columns. In each column, several rod segments are interconnected at each floor diaphragm using a double conical connector assembly. In portions of the wall structure where rod columns cannot be placed, such as window regions, spring tensioning assemblies are installed using a similar double conical connector assembly. Each type of connector assembly is embedded in a pocket formed in the masonry wall structure using a hardenable grout. After installation, the rods are post-tensioned to provide a compressive axial load to the masonry wall structure. The spring tensioner assemblies are tensioned prior to applying the grout to the void in the wall.

Abstract: A angular interlocking floor tile is provided with a generally flat top surface, a parallel bottom surface, wherein the tile includes two elongated sides which converge to a point or short inner side at one end and which sides diverge at an internal angle of less than 90.degree. to be joined at their other ends by a beveled outer edge surface. The elongated sides are formed with a plurality of female cavities located adjacent to each of the sides. Each of the female cavities is positioned to mate with a corresponding male connecting member of a neighboring tile of a runner mat whereby the runner mat is able to make variety of turns. Alternatively, each of the elongated sides may be formed with an additional integral interlocking strip having male connecting members which may be used to mate with a corresponding female cavities of a neighboring tile. When the interlocking strip is not needed it may be removed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for laying and mechanically joining building panels, especially thin, hard, floating floors. Adjacent joint edges (3, 4) of two panels (1, 2) engage each other to provide a first mechanical connection locking the joint edges (3, 4) in a first direction (D1) perpendicular to the principal plane of the panels. In each joint, there is further provided a strip (6) which is integrated with one joint edge (3) and which projects behind the other joint edge (4). The strip (6) has an upwardly protruding locking element (8) engaging in a locking groove (14) in the rear side (16) of the other joint edge (4) to form a second mechanical connection locking the panels (1, 2) in a second direction (D2) parallel to the principal plane of the panels and at right angles to the joint. Both the first and the second mechanical connection allow mutual displacement of joined panels (1, 2) in the direction of the joint.

Abstract: Wood flooring panel is made of a plurality of parallel longitudinal wood slats situated side by side, with the slats being of the same length but staggered in their longitudinal positions. A tambour backing is adhesively secured to a back side of the slats to hold the slats together as a panel. The tambour backing is made of a material that is inextensible in the longitudinal and lateral directions, but flexible to permit bending at joints defined between said wood slats. There are clips or tabs affixed onto the back surfaces of the respective slats at the front ends. These extend about a half-inch beyond the forward ends of the respective slats. The tambour can be secured with a hot melt adhesive. The clips can be formed of rectangles of fish paper. The clips prevent the flooring adhesive from coming between the front ends of the slats of one panel slats and the rear ends of the next panel slats. The clips also help align the ends of the corresponding slats or fingers of the two panels.

Abstract: An automatic umbrella includes: a central shaft consisting of four tubes telescopically engageable with one another; a rib assembly consisting of at least a top rib pivotally secured to a top portion of the central shaft, a stretcher rib pivotally connected with the top rib and a lower runner slidably held on the central shaft, and several ribs pivotally connected to the top rib and the stretcher rib; an opening spring resiliently retained in the central shaft for opening the umbrella; a plurality of closing springs secured on the rib assembly for closing the umbrella; and a control device consisting of an upper roller rotatably mounted on an upper portion of the central shaft, a lower roller rotatably secured on the lower runner and an uppermost roller rotatably secured on a top portion of the shaft for continuously deflectively winding a rope of the control device on the rollers for making an automatic umbrella of quadruple folds or the like.

Abstract: Floor covering, including hard floor panels (1) which, at least at the edges of two opposite sides (2-3, 26-27), are provided with coupling parts (4-5, 28-29), cooperating which each other, substantially in the form of a tongue (9-31) and a groove (10-32), wherein the coupling parts (4-5, 28-29) are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements (6) which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled floor panels in a direction (R) perpendicular to the related edges (2-3, 26-27) and parallel to the underside (7) of the coupled floor panels (1).

Abstract: A multi-purpose, positioning and fastening strap is disclosed for use in the construction of building structures. The strap is made from a flexible, durable, non-stretchable material and has a high breaking load. The strap is usable for various construction applications, such as, the fastening or holding down of tar or felt paper on a roof, the laying down of shingles on a roof, the erection of a trussing structure for a roof, the construction of a floor structure, etc. The durability and breaking load of the multi-purpose strap are critical physical characteristics which are necessary for its use in the aforementioned various construction applications.